Atomizer



June 29, 1965 w. L. HELMS 7 ATOMIZER Filed Oct. 25, less 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mymrozz w. L. HELMS June 29, 1965 ATOMIZER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 23, 1963 United States Patent 3,191,867 ATOMIZER W. Lee Helms, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Revlon, Inc. Filed Oct. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 318,430 3 Claims. (Cl. 239-288) The object of the invention is to provide an actuator for aerosol spray dispensers, comprising an actuator head formed as a sleeve to receive the top area of a can containing gas-impelled fluid, the can having the usual upwardly projecting stem valve. Received on the actuator head is a cover which is of flexible material, preferably plastic. In closed position this cover closely embraces the actuator head, and is opened by a bodily upward movement thereof followed by a swinging movement, about 90 from its closed position. In open position the cover provides a closed nozzle. In other words the nozzle area is cylindrical and unbroken except for its front opening. In closing the cover, it is swung from horizontal position to vertical position, followed by a sliding movement at which the lower edge of the cover, when completely down, may engage a flange on the aerosol can, and thus restrain accidental actuation of the stem valve. This follows because operation of the stem valve is effected by a downward bodily movement of the actuator head, with the cover, and means are provided for restraining relative sliding movement of the actuator head and cover when the latter is in closed position.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, largely schematic, showing an embodiment of the invention mounted on an aerosol can and with the cover raised to operating position:

FIGURE 2 is a view in elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 1, with the cover in closed position;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view,

FIGURE 4 is a view with the elements in the position of FIG. 1, the actuator with its cover being shown in section;

FIGURE 5 illustrates the actuator head and cover broken away and in position on a can with the cover closed;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing different latching means for the cover;

FIGURE 7 is a sect-ion through the structure shown in FIG. 6, taken on the dotted line 77, horizontal dotted lines indicating the cover in operating position.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the actuator consist-s of two parts, i.e. a headed sleeve 1, which receives the aerosol can 2, and a pivoted cover 4. In the valve stem receiving area 5 of the actuator head is a reception passage 6, having a shoulder or its equivalent which will engage the top rim of the valve stem carried by can 2. In the drawings, the stem is indicated at 3. In the actuator head is a discharge orifice communicating with a passageway 7, directed axially of cover 4 when the latter is in the position of FIG. 4. The actuator preferably is made of plastic, although it may be made of other material such as metal.

The cover of the actuator also is of flexible material. It is a sleeve cut away at 4*, FIG. 1, and provided with opposed shallow buttons or studs 7, adapted to be snapped into opposed longitudinal slots 8 when the actuater head receives the cover.

It will be seen that studs or buttons 7 carried by the the cover 4, lie near the margins of the cut-away area at 4*, and that the flexible, springy nature of the cover material which may be polystyrene, or the like, enables the cover to be applied by pressing it down on the head to the posit-ion of FIG. 4, whereupon the opposed cutaway areas will slightly swing outwardly, and then inwardly as the studs or buttons enter the opposed passageways 8.

With the cover in the position shown in FIG. 4, it may be swung upwardly on its pivots 7 until it lies vertically. It then may be given a sliding movement downwardly until its lower edge engages a flange such as that at 2 on the can. Just prior to reaching its lowermost position, the cover will snap over a detent 9, 'FIG. -1, or two detents, one at the lower end of each of the slots 8 of the actuator head. Factually, it is the stud or button 7 which is latched by the detent 9, singly or in plurality, as to studs and detents.

The detent or detents 9 act to prevent accidental downward movement of the actuator head, and hence operation of the stem valve. This follows because the cover and detent will be latched together, and the rim of the cover will engage the said flange 2 of the can. To raise the cover for operation of the device, it is given a sliding movement upwardly until the studs or buttons 7 carried by the cover reach the rounded tops of the slots 8, whereupon the cover may be swung to the position of FIG. 1. Then, for operation of the device, pressure may be placed on button -10 carried by the cover, so that the actuator head is given a downward movement to actuate the stem valve 3.

In moving the cover from its closed position to its open position of FIGS. 1 and 4, the detent or detents 9 will offer some resistance, but due to the flexibility of the cover walls at the opposed cut-away areas, the operation is not diflicult. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the detent means is simplified in that it consists of one or more inset small rounded detents 12 carried by the cover, and the corresponding aperture or apertures in the wall of the actua-tor head '1. In such form of detent means, an outward pull on button 10, followed by a movement of the button upwardly to carry with it the cover, will readily raise the latter to the position where it may be swung horizontally as in FIG. 1.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the element-s constituting the embodiment shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus the pivot studs may be carried by either the actuator sleeve or the cover, and the guiding slot may be a channelway.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent is as follows:

1. In an actuator for aerosol spray dispensers which comprises an acuator sleeve adapted to receive an aerosol can which has an outwardly projecting discharge ne dle valve, the sleeve carrying a head formed with a passageway for receiving the needle valve, a shoulder in the passageway and adapted to engage the top rim of the needle valve, and an orifice communicating with said passageway and with the exterior of said head; a cover cap for the actuator sleeve, the cover cap coaxially encircling 'the actuator sleeve for longitudinal sliding movement thereon, pivot means intermediate the actuator sleeve and cover cap and carried by one of said two members, pivot receiving and guiding means provided for one of said members and having coaction with said pivot means, the cover cap having a cut-away wall area at its normally lower end adapting the cover cap to be swung to about horizontal position on said pivot means when, by sliding movement on the actuator sleeve, the cover cap reaches uppermost position.

2. An actuator for aerosol spray dispensers constructed in accordance with claim -1, in which the actuator sleeve is formed with a head having a normally vertical aper- 

1. IN AN ACTUATOR FOR AEROSOL SPRAY DISPENSERS WHICH COMPRISES AN ACUATOR SLEEVE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN AEROSOL CAN WHICH HAS AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING DISCHARGE NEEDLE VALVE, THE SLEEVE CARRYING A HEAD FORMED WITH A PASSAGEWAY FOR RECEIVING THE NEEDLE VALVE, A SHOULDER IN THE PASSAGEWAY AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE TOP RIM OF THE NEEDLE VALVE, AND AN ORIFICE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY AND WITH THE EXTERIOR OF SAID HEAD; A COVER CAP FOR ACTUATOR SLEEVE, THE COVER CAP COAXIALLY ENCIRCLING THE ACTUATOR SLEEVE FOR LONGITUDINAL SLIDING MOVEMENT THEREON, PIVOT MEANS INTERMEDIATE THE ACTUATOR SLEEVE AND COVER CAP AND CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID TWO MEMBERS, PIVOT RECEIVING AND GUIDING MEANS PROVIDED FOR 